A charger plugged into a car cigarette lighter sparked a bomb scare at Edinburgh Castle earlier today.

The Castle and nearby shops were locked down as police cordoned off an area at the top of the Royal Mile.

The scare came after a taxi driver left his car in a secure area and went walkabout around the Castle.

One source said it was being treated as a bomb scare.

The source said “The private hire cab had dropped off in an area where cars are not allowed to be parked and went walkabout.

“Cops approached the car and spotted a car charger in the cigarette lighter with cables sticking out of it.

“As they couldn’t see the end of the cables they were worried that this could have easily been a bomb.

“The area was littered with tourists so the decision was taken to evacuate the streets and lock down the Castle.

“No one was allowed to leave and no one was getting in.

“It was quite worrying with everything that’s going on in the world just now.

“After about half an hour the driver told staff in the castle the it was his car.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Local officers in Edinburgh attended at Castlehill at around 12.30pm on Tuesday 2nd August after a private hire vehicle was found unattended.

“The owner was quickly traced and the car was moved from the area.

“As a precaution local businesses were advised to prevent entry and exit from their premises while inquiries were carried out.

“However, they were soon after advised to return to normal business.”